Thursday, January 03, 2013

Then Crimefest is where you should head to!

Care to learn and discuss crime fiction writing? Then Crimefest is where you should head to!

Held in the month of May, the fest unleashes a universe of excitement for avid enthusiasts of this genre. A planned set of programmes continue from morning till evening for four days, which include discussion forums on topics like criminal psychology, religion and superstition, crime and humour etc. and also include interactions with popular crime authors to help those interested in crime writing hone their skills. The fest also invites participation in the Crime Writing Workshop where participants are tutored on writing crime fiction and are also assessed on their submitted work. “The crime-writing workshops are for those readers who would like to become crime writers and the response to these workshops has been enthusiastic,” Peter says gladly.

The Crimefest doesn’t confine itself to the various programmes. It also arranges visits to tourist spots like Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock (where bits of Harry Potter were filmed) and a walking tour of the city of Bath. The Gala Dinner is most looked forward to, since it includes after-dinner speeches by guest authors and an award ceremony – The Last Laugh Award (for the best humourous crime novel) and Sounds of Crime Award (for crime audio books). Although it has been just two years since the inception of the event, the response has been overwhelming, which brings us to the question – would this event be organised in India in the future? Peter assures, “There is talk of putting Crimefest onto a cruise liner, so who knows where it will end up!” Well, all aspiring crime writers start preparing yourselves, and all crime fiction fans, brace yourselves as your favourite authors might soon tour India too!